Pumpkins and squash are some of the most generous crops in the autumn garden. They store well, feed plenty of people and can be used in everything from soups and curries to cakes, pickles and preserves.
At Fat Tomato, we slowly roast our homegrown pumpkins and squash before combining them with apples, onions, organic cranberries, apricots and warming spices to make our Sweet Pumpkin Chutney. It is sweet, gently spiced and particularly good with a strong, mature cheese.
This toastie is also a useful way to give slightly stale bread and leftover pieces of cheese a delicious second life. Add a few thin slices of apple, then cook slowly until the bread is crisp and the cheese is bubbling.
Serves: 1 generous toastie
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes
Equipment: Heavy frying pan or toastie maker
Ingredients
2 thick slices of sourdough or good bread
80g mature Irish cheddar, grated - we like Hegarty’s or Coolattin
1–2 tablespoons Fat Tomato Sweet Pumpkin Chutney
Softened butter, for spreading
A little Dijon or wholegrain mustard, optional
Instructions
Spread one side of each slice of bread lightly with butter. These will become the outside of the toastie.
Turn the bread over. Spread the Sweet Pumpkin Chutney over one slice and add a little mustard, if using.
Scatter the grated cheddar evenly over the chutney. Top with the second slice of bread, keeping the buttered side facing out.
Place the toastie in a heavy frying pan over a low to medium heat. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, pressing gently with a metal spatula, until the bread is crisp and golden and the cheese has melted.
If the bread is browning before the cheese has melted, lower the heat and cover the pan for a minute.
Leave to rest for one minute before cutting and serving.
mAKE IT YOUR OWN
Add a few thin slices of sweet eating apple
Add some caramelised onions
Replace some of the cheddar with blue cheese